MMA K-O

Berkeley, CA -- 15 July 2011 -- G4tv's Blair Butler announced yesterday that she's making her professional comics writing debut at Image Comics this November, with a four-issue miniseries called HEART. Featuring art by LOVESTRUCK artist Kevin Mellon with lettering and design by Crank!, HEART combines Butler's love of both comics and mixed martial arts for a story that's both full of action and emotionally gripping.

"I think it's safe to say that writing this book was hugely intimidating. It's scary to think that you might fail horribly at something you love!" exclaimed Butler. "But this is a story I've been dying to tell. I know it's set in a world that may seem esoteric or overwhelmingly brutal to a lot of people, but I hope both comics and MMA fans will find a lot to relate to inside. HEART is about the initial rush of joy that comes with discovering something you love, finding a purpose, and what happens when you reach your threshold and have to question your own heart and dedication."

HEART chronicles the struggles and victories of a spirited young fighter named Oren as he forges ahead through a difficult, frequently painful career path. Even though Mellon is illustrating pages chock-full of fight scenes, he has described the story of HEART as like nothing else in comics right now.

"Before I had even read the script, I wondered how one could do a comic book taking place in the mixed martial arts world," explained Mellon. "But I have to admit, I was intrigued by Blair's notion of going deeper and doing a more emotive story about a person's inner journey that happens to be set in that world."

Mellon continued: "I was immediately taken aback by how much I related to the voice and the character of Oren. There are a lot of cool (and complicated!) fight scenes in this book, but I was amazed at Blair's ability to choreograph a wealth of character, as well as punches, into them."

"I've been incredibly lucky to work with artist Kevin on this," Butler added. "The first page he sent in just looked incredible -- and he's been consistently kicking ass ever since. So if you're down for dudes punching each other in the face -- please give us a shot!"

"Blair and I first started talking about HEART at Comic-Con last year, and I'm thrilled that readers will finally be able to read the wonderful story that's been percolating in her mind over the last year," said Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "Her passion for the material is undeniable, and in Kevin, she's found the perfect artist to bring that passion to life on the page. Get ready for a really special series!"

HEART #1, a 32-page black and white comic book, will be available to order in the September issue of Previews, and goes on sale in stores in November for $2.99.

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.